The Secret to a Well-Designed Home: Choosing the Right Scale
If you have been following along with the blog posts, you know I do not love when absolutes are thrown around when it comes to design; however there are great guidelines to help design an intentional space. Proportion & scale are two of those guiding lights to lead you to the best results in every element of your home:
Rugs: Rugs, when sized properly, act as the anchor of the space. When you select the correct size the first time, you avoid doubling the cost from having to replace the rug with the correct size in the future. What I am saying is it is not always best to choose the smaller sized rug to save costs. A rug that is too small can make a room feel disconnected. I typically opt to have a rug extend past the footprint of my furniture layout or match the size of the footprint. For more on rugs, check out my blog post about shopping for area rugs linked here.
Artwork: Sometimes homeowners will select a smaller sized piece over the larger piece to save a few bucks, but in the investment will not make the impact that is needed. You do not want your artwork to look like a lonely postage stamp on a long wall. Just because a piece of art coordinates with the style of your space, does not mean it is going to work anywhere you hang it. For example, a longer wall WILL require multiple pieces and/or a larger piece. To read more on artwork and what height to hang it, click my blog post linked here.
Mirrors: A correctly sized mirror can add so much beauty and unique qualities to a design. As with artwork, too small mirrors that standalone on a wall will look like a postage stamp. Too large mirrors will overwhelm the space. The right-sized mirror will complement its surrounding elements.
Hardware: Hardware is a big item you want to get correct the first time around to avoid having to fill holes in cabinetry and re-paint and re-drill. Specifically, pull-style hardware is what I often see purchased too small. For instance, I typically avoid the smaller gaps when it comes to center to center spacing. You also do not want to buy hardware that is too long, but that is not a problem I often see.
Curtains: I have an entire blog post dedicated to selecting and hanging curtains (linked here). I don’t recommend choosing a smaller length just to save money. Avoid the regret, and select the best size the first round.
If you think you are seeing a trend here, you totally are! I do not recommend splurging on every item in your home, but I do recommend selecting the correct size the first time around. You will end up saving money in the end because you will not need to repurchase the correct size home element a second time. Proportion is everything in design. If you use it to guide your design decisions, you will undoubtedly feel the difference and be able to enjoy your well-designed home.
